Snowflakes that Stay On My Nose and Eyelashes

At work yesterday I made the joyous announcement that they are predicting a big snow storm this weekend!

I was greeted with boos and hisses!

I don't understand! Doesn't everyone look at a snow day - a weekend snow day - as a special opportunity?

Here is how I see my special snow day ...

Sleep late (well really, I can do this any day!)

Get up and put something scrumptous in the crockpot! Nothing like a good bowl of chilli or beef stronganoff or beef stew to warm the soul on a snowy day!

Then I'll play on my computer for a while until Jimmy and Maggie wake up to start our movies or catch up on my DVR!

Maybe I'll sneak in a nap as I pretend to read a book :)

I'll make some steaming hot chocolate while Jimmy shovels. (remember this is my relaxing snow day!)

And then it will be time for our crock pot delight!

Then we'll finish up the day with more movies and some snuggling!

How can this not be a good day??

Maybe my co-workers just need to adjust their perspective on snow! It's not so bad when snowflakes stay on your nose and eyelashes!

My Mother and Her Squirrel

I recieved a call from my mother the other night that went like this:

Mom: Is your husband home?

Me: No. He just left work and is on his way home.

Mom: Oh. (pause) So, how do you feel about squirrels?

Me: (pause) They are okay I guess ... why?

Mom: I have one in my living room.

Me: How are you going to get it out?

Mom: I thought you could come over for moral support!

Me: Where is your son?

Mom: Can you just come over?

Me: Yeeesssss.

Mom: Bring a broom.

Me: Would you like me to bring Jimmy's safety goggles?

Mom: Don't be a smart ass.

Me: Can't help it.

Mom: Hurry up, I'm sitting here with the door wide open with my coat and hood on.

Me: Why the hood?

Mom: In case he attacks my head

Me: LAUGH!

Mom: Oh shut up!

Me: I'll be right over.

P.S. No squirrels were harmed in this story, this little guy managed to make his escape through an open window!

The Simple Beauty of a Sugar Bowl

Sometimes it doesn't take much to make me happy. Other times it takes the world!

Recently the little thing to make me happy is the sugar bowl that sits on the table at the Redstone American Grill.

I have been admiring this sugar bowl for almost 3 years. Yes ... THREE years.

Everytime I go I'm tempted to slip it into my pocketbook ... and everytime I talk myself out of it!

I recently decided to email them to see where they get them so that I could purchase one. Well, really, I was hoping they would just "donate" one to a loyal customer.

At midnight I receive an answer asking how many do I want and what location do I live closest to? Within a matter of 2 days I was told they had one to give me and I could stop by anytime to pick it up. Little did I know, the email was coming from the President of the company!

So I finally went on Saturday to pick it up! I was sooooo excited that I filmed it on my flip camera and made a litttle movie of it!

When the manager delivered it to my table he asked me with a straight face ...

"Why didn't you just steal it?"

Now, why didn't I think of that?

The Final Countdown!

30 Days!

I said 30 Days!

That is how long I have until the wedding. As I look at my current "To-Do List", which is 4 pages long, I begin to wonder what have I been doing since November 27th? Even though I know that I have done a lot since then, I feel like I have so much more to go!

There are a few things that I have recently crossed off the "To-Do List."

On Saturday, we had a meeting with our officiant, who we lovingly refer to as our "fake priest". He is a gentle, funny man that used to be a catholic priest and left the church. He is very vague as to why he left the church, in fact, he doesn't say anything about why he left. When we met with him this weekend we quickly learned, or saw, why he left. Upon arrival, we were warmly greeted by our "fake priest" and his very lovely Mrs. "Fake Nun"! Yup! There was even a cute double picture frame that had one picture of him when he was a priest and one of her when she was a nun! After chatting with them you could very clearly see that they were a warm and loving couple that made the right decision.

As we talked and went through the ceremony logistics, it began to hit me that this is it! We are almost there! I found myself start to tear up as our fake priest did a run through of the vows. I was just imaging us standing up there in front of family and friends "repeating after me"! I now realize that I'm going to be cryer on the day of my wedding! I make fun of people for this, but I know I will be joining the ranks. And I can't wait!

On Monday I had my final fitting, which went great! The seamstress did a great job! My dress has been transformed and has allowed my vision to become my reality. As I was praticing my cat walk at the salon I received a delivery! A flower delivery! It was a vase of hydrangas from my soon-t0-be! With a card that read ...

"I Bet You Look Beatiful!"

And I did!

I'll Be There ...

I am a Libra.

I don't do well with decisions.

With that being said, you can imagine how torturous this wedding planning is for me!

My subject of torture this week ... The honeymoon!

The possibilities are endless ... which is very dangerous for a Libra! So I began to weed out the places that were not options for us. Every place that was over a 6 hour plane ride (we only have 6 days!). Every place that required airfare more than $1500 per person (we do have a budget!). A place that neither of us have been (hard for me, not so hard for him!).

I decided I wanted a caribbean honeymoon. Jim decided he wanted an Irish honeymoon. Could you find two places that are so fundamentally different?

Jim then made a surprise move by announcing that he would just show up at the airport and go where ever I told him to go. Little did he know this would just stress me out even more!

Last week I made a decision. The caribbean was too hot, it was prone to hurricanes ... etc! We were going to Napa Valley and then a brief tour of the coast! Done! Decided! Hotel almost booked.

This week ... a new decision ... we are going to the Caribbean! I realized that I do this with most of my decisions. I know where I want to go, I then talk myself out of it thinking there is is something better out there only to stress myself out. So I am going with my original decision!

So I'm actually excited now for the honeymoon! A week at a beachy resort with all the drinks and food I can consume!! Someone to wait on me hand and foot!!

Jim will be so excited when he gets to the airport!

I'll Be There is from the Jackson 5 Ultimate Collection

Just Because You Are Old ...

I'm sure by now you have heard about or seen the video of the 72 year old grandmother being tazered by a cop after she was acting beligerant, combative and rude during a traffic stop. I'll save my opinion about whether or not she deserved it, but rather I'll talk about old people doing things just because they are old.

On Valentines Day weekend we went to a famous pizza place in Fishtown, where they only serve pizza and soda. It is a BYOB. My grandmother must have misread and thought it was BYOF! Because she bought a container of swedish meatballs she had left over from a party she had and served them right there at the table.



Fast forward to last week ...

Event: My Mother's 60th Birthday
Location: The Macaroni Grill

My grandmother thought it would be appropriate to bring Sparkling Cider for the birthday toast, a homemade cake AND a big ol' knife to cut it with! (I could understand her thinking they might not have sparkling cider but did she really think they wouldn't have knives??)


Note to grandma ... it's not a BYOB or BYOBC or BYOSC! It's a full service restaurant!


The best is that the bigger deal I made of this the more she would smirk and say "so what?!" She even justified that it was okay by saying "they asked if I wanted them to put in the fridge to keep cold" I said "yes Mom-Mom ... they were going to take it and NOT bring it back!"

So, as I contemplate these two scenarios I think to myself, should I loosen up and not care what others think? Should I learn from my grandmother's experiences in life and admire her for her new found courage? Should I just show my true feelings in every situation regardless of the outcome?


Then I think ... that must be what the tazered grandma must have been thinking ... and then I just close my mouth and just eat what is on the menu!

And So It Begins ...

My blog. I was never really interested in blogs ... until I found one that I could relate to. I read it once and thought "that's cute!" And then I went back again ... and again ... and again! It was a friend of a friend! Now I read hers, her friend's blog and her friend's friend's blog! Thanks Jen for creating yet another addiction I must maintain!

I researched how to blog! What a dork! It told me to have a goal and stick to it! You need a goal to blog? I then decided that my goal was to have a place to give a 5 minute dialogue every so often! Kind of like Letterman or my new fav ... Gayle King on XM radio! She always starts with what happened yesterday or that morning and it often has me laughing out loud! And I think to myself ... those things happen to me too! I need my own opening dialogue ... thus ... my blog!

So my blog will give you a glance into my world which includes: my soon-to-be husband and our dog Maggie (she gives me enough material for a whole blog in itself!), my job, my friends and my crazy ol' family! There will be plenty of references to my favorite TV shows (which are too many to name!) or just what's going on in the news!

I can't wait to get started!